School Mission Statement
The Congregation of the Daughters of Mary and Joseph was founded in Belgium in 1817 by the Very Reverend Canon Van Crombrugghe, one of the great Belgian educationalists of his time.
In 1869, the Daughters of Mary and Joseph opened Coloma Convent Girls’ School in Tavistock Road, Croydon. In 1965, the school moved to its present site at Shirley.
Through the late 19th and 20th centuries, Coloma experienced many changes, which reflected developments in the education of girls and young women. Throughout this time, the school has maintained its vision that growth in knowledge and Christ are one.
Coloma strives to provide a Christian environment for this growth, both in the context of Gospel values and the wider world.
Coloma is a community of staff, pupils, parents and governors where each is recognised as a highly valued individual. The school aims to foster a deepening awareness of Christian faith and service alongside an understanding and tolerance of other creeds and cultures.
Coloma, through its teaching and organisation, endeavours to give every girl opportunities for growth and development. The school seeks, in particular, to:
INSPIRE her to aim for academic, sporting, musical and artistic excellence.
CULTIVATE her talents with enjoyment and enthusiasm.
ENCOURAGE the development of social skills.
DEVELOP skills in leadership, management and enterprise by working with, and for, the wider school community.
CREATE appreciation, respect and care for others and to strive for justice in this world
UNDERSTAND there is no true discipline save self discipline.
Through Coloma’s distinctive Catholic ethos, it is hoped that each girl will reach her full personal, social and academic potential, achieve confidence in herself and acquire a breadth of vision for adult life.
Aims
We strive to foster the spiritual life of the school community through worship and prayer.
We aim to provide an opportunity for the balanced development of the students’ intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual qualities and to foster an appreciation of those things which add quality to life, by developing creative and artistic gifts and skills.
Our intention is to develop the potential of all students by encouraging them to search for knowledge and truth.
We seek to be a place of Christian service where all are sensitive to the needs of others; where there is a determination to promote human rights and a recognition of the corresponding duties and responsibilities; where a sense of justice is fostered and an awareness that all people have an equal value.
We aim to work in partnership with the home and the parish, to help all members of the school community to live the Gospel values of reconciliation and forgiveness and to respond in a Christian way to the challenges of life with its joys and sorrows. Thus, it is hoped that each one will be able to achieve a loving relationship with God and all creation, to make the appropriate moral decisions, and to grow towards mature membership of the Church.
